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CATHOLIC THOUGHT ON REVELATION
James J. Bacik
Introduction
1. Revelation is a key category in contemporary theology since it responds to the question of what knowledge
or awareness human beings can and do have of the Deity.
2. Examining revelation discloses important elements of Catholic thought in general.
3. Some helpful reading: Models of Revelation by Avery Dulles; Foundations of Christian Faith by Karl
Rahner; Theology of Revelation by Gabriel Moran; Prayer by Hans Urs von Balthasar; Theology of
Liberation by Gustavo Gutierrez.
I- The Current Situation
A. The Question
1. Explicitly religious: Is there a word from the Lord? Has God revealed herself to us? Is there guidance
and direction from the deity? Where would we find such a message? How clear and definite is it? How
can we respond to it? What demands does it make upon us? cf. Theology of Revelation by Moran.
2. Secular versions: What is life all about? Is life meaningful or absurd? Is there an answer to the riddle of
life? Can we know more than is empirically verifiable? Does the evolutionary process have a goal?
Does history have a purpose? cf. Man Becoming by Gregory Baum and Naming the Whirlwind by
Langdon Gilkey.
3. The importance of the question: Walter Kasper said revelation is "the final presupposition, basis, means
and norm of everything that pretends to be Christian".
B. Historical Challenges
1. Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872) - His aim was" to change the friends of God into friends of man,
believers into thinkers, worshipers into workers, candidates for the other world into students of this
world, Christians who on their confession are half-animals and half-angels into men - whole men." cf.
The Essence of Christianity.
2. Marx (1818-1883) Religion with its claim to supernatural revelation is dehumanizing. "It is the opium of
the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real
happiness."
3. Nietzsche (1844-1900) - "I beseech you my brothers remain faithful to the earth and do not believe
those who speak to you of otherworldly hopes." cf. Titus Spoke Zarathustra
4. Freud (1856-1939) - Talk of God and revelation is simply a projection and keeps human beings in an
infantile state cf. The Future of An Illusion.
5. Albert Camus (1913-1960) "The rebellion against God and the sacred in Western secular society reveals
true values and a morality that can stand as a self sufficient humanism." cf. Myth of Sisyphus.
6. Sartre (1905-1980) - "Man is a useless passion" Belief destroys freedom cf. Being and Nothingness.
7. Jean-Francois Lyotard claims that meta-narratives are not credible in postmodern world, (cf. Tlie
Postmodern Condition).
C. Current challenges
1. Secular consciousness with a strong sense of relativity, contingency, transience, and the autonomy of
individual, (cf. Gilkey notes)
2. Pipeline Christianity which claims direct and certain messages from God.
3. Greater awareness of social sin and the problem of non-persons.
4. The age of transition: the shift from modernity to postmodernity; the change of mood after WWI in
Europe and after assassination of JFK in the United States. ci.The Sources of Self by Charles Taylor,
Spirituality in Transition by James Bacik.
II. The Theology of Revelation
A. Bible
1. Hebrew Scriptures - Yahweh is a living God manifested as Lord of creation and history through actions
in the world which are interpreted by Moses and later by the Law prophets and wisdom and provide not
philosophical knowledge but personal knowledge of the living God.
2. New Testament
a. Synoptics - Jesus is the full revelation of the Father (Mt. 11:25-27) but is accepted as the Christ only
through a revelation received from the Father (Mt 16:17).
b. Pauline writings - There is a natural revelation (Rom 1:19) but this is distinguished from God's self-
manifestation in Jesus (1 Cor. 1:17-2:16).
c. Johflnine writings: Jesus reveals the secrets of the Father and the Spirit will complete this teaching of
Jesus (Jnl6:12-13).
B. Church Documents
1. Vatican I "Dei Filius" (1870 )- Employed the main lines of Thomistic thought to affirm against the
rationalists the possibility and need for supernatural revelation, and against the semi-rationalists that

CATHOLIC THOUGHT ON REVELATION
James J. Bacik
Introduction
1. Revelation is a key category in contemporary theology since it responds to the question of what knowledge
or awareness human beings can and do have of the Deity.
2. Examining revelation discloses important elements of Catholic thought in general.
3. Some helpful reading: Models of Revelation by Avery Dulles; Foundations of Christian Faith by Karl
Rahner; Theology of Revelation by Gabriel Moran; Prayer by Hans Urs von Balthasar; Theology of
Liberation by Gustavo Gutierrez.
I- The Current Situation
A. The Question
1. Explicitly religious: Is there a word from the Lord? Has God revealed herself to us? Is there guidance
and direction from the deity? Where would we find such a message? How clear and definite is it? How
can we respond to it? What demands does it make upon us? cf. Theology of Revelation by Moran.
2. Secular versions: What is life all about? Is life meaningful or absurd? Is there an answer to the riddle of
life? Can we know more than is empirically verifiable? Does the evolutionary process have a goal?
Does history have a purpose? cf. Man Becoming by Gregory Baum and Naming the Whirlwind by
Langdon Gilkey.
3. The importance of the question: Walter Kasper said revelation is "the final presupposition, basis, means
and norm of everything that pretends to be Christian".
B. Historical Challenges
1. Ludwig Feuerbach (1804-1872) - His aim was" to change the friends of God into friends of man,
believers into thinkers, worshipers into workers, candidates for the other world into students of this
world, Christians who on their confession are half-animals and half-angels into men - whole men." cf.
The Essence of Christianity.
2. Marx (1818-1883) Religion with its claim to supernatural revelation is dehumanizing. "It is the opium of
the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real
happiness."
3. Nietzsche (1844-1900) - "I beseech you my brothers remain faithful to the earth and do not believe
those who speak to you of otherworldly hopes." cf. Titus Spoke Zarathustra
4. Freud (1856-1939) - Talk of God and revelation is simply a projection and keeps human beings in an
infantile state cf. The Future of An Illusion.
5. Albert Camus (1913-1960) "The rebellion against God and the sacred in Western secular society reveals
true values and a morality that can stand as a self sufficient humanism." cf. Myth of Sisyphus.
6. Sartre (1905-1980) - "Man is a useless passion" Belief destroys freedom cf. Being and Nothingness.
7. Jean-Francois Lyotard claims that meta-narratives are not credible in postmodern world, (cf. Tlie
Postmodern Condition).
C. Current challenges
1. Secular consciousness with a strong sense of relativity, contingency, transience, and the autonomy of
individual, (cf. Gilkey notes)
2. Pipeline Christianity which claims direct and certain messages from God.
3. Greater awareness of social sin and the problem of non-persons.
4. The age of transition: the shift from modernity to postmodernity; the change of mood after WWI in
Europe and after assassination of JFK in the United States. ci.The Sources of Self by Charles Taylor,
Spirituality in Transition by James Bacik.
II. The Theology of Revelation
A. Bible
1. Hebrew Scriptures - Yahweh is a living God manifested as Lord of creation and history through actions
in the world which are interpreted by Moses and later by the Law prophets and wisdom and provide not
philosophical knowledge but personal knowledge of the living God.
2. New Testament
a. Synoptics - Jesus is the full revelation of the Father (Mt. 11:25-27) but is accepted as the Christ only
through a revelation received from the Father (Mt 16:17).
b. Pauline writings - There is a natural revelation (Rom 1:19) but this is distinguished from God's self-
manifestation in Jesus (1 Cor. 1:17-2:16).
c. Johflnine writings: Jesus reveals the secrets of the Father and the Spirit will complete this teaching of
Jesus (Jnl6:12-13).
B. Church Documents
1. Vatican I "Dei Filius" (1870 )- Employed the main lines of Thomistic thought to affirm against the
rationalists the possibility and need for supernatural revelation, and against the semi-rationalists that